Daily Verse

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.—1 Peter 2:12Thoughts on Today's Verse...How do we win the hearts of those hostile to us and our faith? How do we influence them to follow Jesus? While we need skilled defenders and expositors of biblical truth among believers today, most […]

The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.—1 John 2:17Thoughts on Today's Verse...So much of what we pursue is fleeting. Once we acquire it, we try to preserve it! Why? Because we know it will soon be gone. God has promised us that just as he is eternal and will live forever, so are those who pursue a relationship with […]

Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O LORD.—Psalm 93:5Thoughts on Today's Verse...So many of the material things we pursue are temporary. Their usefulness lasts only months, or at most, only a few short years. Even our lives, and the lives of those we love, are short. The defining quality of God's character, holiness,* is forever — "for endless days." So as we build our lives, […]

He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.—1 John 3:8Thoughts on Today's Verse...John presents us with two truths — one hard and the other liberating: The person who CONTINUES* to live a life caught up in sin has been co-opted and deceived by the devil's influence […]

Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know?"—Isaiah 29:15Thoughts on Today's Verse...Aren't we so very silly sometimes! We hide what we've done and what we're planning from the LORD. Of course, we're only fooling ourselves. At first glance, God's knowing our plans and seeing our actions may feel threatening. […]

"Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty.—Malachi 3:7Thoughts on Today's Verse...In times of horror and disaster, people routinely ask, "Where is God in all of this?" In reality, we often leave God at the periphery of our lives and look for him only when we […]

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, [Jesus] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. —Colossians 2:15Thoughts on Today's Verse...Crucifixion was so hideous, so inhumane, and vile that the words "crucify" (σταυρόω) and "cross" (σταυρός) were not considered appropriate in polite speech in Greek and Roman culture. Crucifixion was reserved for the scum of society who were considered a threat to the government. Jesus endured […]

Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.—Proverbs 20:1Thoughts on Today's Verse...Rather than spending millions on ad campaigns filled with bright lights, leggy blondes, fast cars, and handsome young studs like the alcohol industry does, God simply states the plain truth: We are unwise to be in bondage to anything that makes us look foolish, that destructively incites our passions, and […]

This is how we know we are in [Jesus]: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.—1 John 2:5-6Thoughts on Today's Verse...Do you want to know who walks with Jesus daily? Look for folks whose lives resemble Jesus' life! The apostle Paul describes it as having "the aroma of Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:14-17). Do you want to walk with Jesus? Do you want to develop this aroma? […]